West Seattle Auto Repair

Rats! Or mice...or maybe a squirrel. It's the time of year that rodents are looking for a nice, warm, safe space and your vehicle just might be it! There's just so much to like under your hood - insulation, hoses and plastic for a nest - and it is a dry, safe spot that they can call home. If you drive your vehicle daily, it likely will not be an issue. If, like many people over the last 18 months, you don't drive that often, then the opportunity is there for the little critters to move on in and make themselves comfy! The damage that can happen ranges from annoying smells and pesky "Check Engine" lights to poor running, not starting or even a bio-hazard. The photo is from a vehicle we had in this week. You can see 3 of the 6 spark plug wires are chewed completely through and it had to be towed in. This is after the owner said it sat for a week while he was on vacation. We recently had an Audi in that needed extensive repairs that included a wiring harness and p ... read more

     Your Volvo, Saab, Subaru and Mini Specialists are now your go to for ALL European Vehicles and Subaru too! Swedish Automotive has been a thriving auto repair business in the West Seattle community since 1983 and what started as a Volvo and Saab repair shop only in 1983, grew to include Subaru in 2005 and Mini Cooper in 2010.  With Saab ceasing production and the immense growth of West Seattle and the surrounding areas it was a great opportunity to expand to all European vehicles in 2018.  Much as West Seattle has grown and changed over the years, we have too! We are fortunate to have a spacious repair facility that has allowed us to grow our vehicle line up to include most BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche ... read more

BMW and Mini Cooper (along with other vehicles) with GDI engines are both cars that can experience carbon build up over time causing drivability issues.    Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) is a method that automakers have used to inject gasoline at a high pressure directly into an engine’s combustion chamber rather than into the intake tract or cylinder port.  Fuel is better measured than older fuel injection or carbureted systems - making the vehicle more fuel efficient.  The problem that can result is that the fuel’s detergents can no longer keep the intake’s clean so carbon and dirt can start caking and building up on the walls.  As the buildup thickens, the vehicle’s performance can suffer.  The check engine light may come on and the car can hesitate or stall.   If carbon has built up to a point where the vehicle’s performance has been affected, we have had success with a service called a wal ... read more

If you have a newer car you may be surprised to hear that oil consumption in these cars is a known concern. Cars sometimes come in to us for service with symptoms such as a burning oil smell, white smoke coming from the tailpipe, or a knock sound from the engine. These cars sometimes have oil levels so low, the oil does not even register on the dipstick. In fact, two of the makes of cars we work on - Subaru (2011-2015) and Mini Cooper (2007-2013) have known oil consumption issues. Cars will usually let you know if there is a problem with your oil level or oil pressure before the afore-mentioned symptoms happen by displaying a w ... read more

When a customer calls us and says: "I would like to schedule an inspection on a vehicle I have already bought," we are always happy to do so.  However, we would rather take the call that asks: "Can I schedule an inspection on a vehicle I am considering purchasing? Buying a vehicle, whether new or used, is a considerable financial commitment and if you go the used car route, there are two invaluable tools available you should take advantage of before purchasing a vehicle: A CARFAX Vehicle History Report  is usually offered to you when looking at cars at used car dealerships or you can purchase one online using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) or license plate for vehicles 1981 or newer. This report is great in that it tells you the service history of the vehicle, number of owners, accidents or air ... read more

Maybe you grew up with your dad washing the car on the lawn in the summer so the grass would get the run-off water. It was genius! You got the car and clean and watered the lawn at the same time. While not the most environmentally friendly method, it turn out dad was on to something. Washing your car on gravel or the lawn minimizes run off allowing the water to be absorbed into the ground. When you wash your car on pavement all that gas, oil, exhaust fumes, not to mention the chemicals in the wash you are using, flow straight into storm drains that release directly into Puget Sound. Commercial car washes are required to drain their wastewater into sewer systems so it gets treated before being discharged back into the environment. They also use less water than we do at home. This is likely due to the super-powerful, high-intensity nozzles commercial car washes use and probably because we have to pay more if we need more car washing time. But what ... read more